


Swiggity-Swub, Hanni Can't Sub

by orphan_account



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Age Play, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Daddy!Will, Hannibal's trust issues are unique, Hurt/Comfort, Little!Hannibal, M/M, Nightmares, Oral Fixation, Oral Sex, Pacifiers, blankies, fortunately Will is also unique, sippy cups
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-02-15 00:26:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2208747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannibal needs to be little sometimes, and to be loved and cared for. Unfortunately, he's <i>extremely</i> bad at it. Will does his best to help him.</p><p>AU where Will knows Abigail's alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Distancing

Hannibal was a wonderful Daddy. He’d brush Will’s hair and feed him, and let him stay as close to him as he wanted, sheltering in his warmth. He told him stories at bedtime and held him all night long to keep the nightmares away. Sometimes he’d rub him gently with baby oil, opening him up with his fingers. He’d give him a pacifier to suck and a toy to hold, and Will would submit to his hands, awash in sensation. When he was warm and relaxed, Daddy would fuck him so slowly, telling him what a good boy he was the whole time.

Sometimes he needed to be punished, and Daddy would take him over his knee and spank him until he cried, until he came in Daddy’s lap, moaning as he took the firm discipline.

But more often than not, Daddy just held and cuddled him. They’d read books and color together, and he’d make Will feel safe.

He’d started speaking Japanese sometimes, when Will was being little. It put him in such a young, pre-verbal state of mind. All he could catch was bits and pieces of what Daddy said. He depended on his gentle expression and his tone of voice to know that he was safe, that everything was okay and Daddy loved him. He’d try out syllables, and Hannibal would praise him and repeat them back to him. It was okay that he stumbled. Daddy still held him in his lap and kissed him when he tried.

Will actually spoke a little Japanese, but between Hannibal’s accent and his quick, fluent speech, it was as good as Martian. It was perfect.

He’d never considered switching their roles. Hannibal seemed so natural and at ease when he was in charge, it was hard to picture him broken and needy like Will was. It was hard to imagine him as a little boy.

***

Will woke up to a cry of distress. “Mh?” The unfamiliar room disoriented him at first, but then he recognized it as Hannibal’s. Dark sheets and the smell of expensive soap. He felt around for his bedmate, and found him twitching in his sleep.

Hannibal was clinging to the blanket with white fingers. His jaw was tense, and his teeth were grinding together. With his hair in disarray around his face, he almost looked like a different man.

Will was at a loss. Hannibal never had nightmares. He hardly ever showed distress, either awake or asleep. He did the first thing he could think of and wrapped around him to hug him close. “Shh. It’s okay, Hannibal.” He pressed a kiss to the back of his head. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

Hannibal whimpered. It was such a high, frightened sound that Will clutched him closer. “Hannibal?” He shook him gently. “Wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”

Hannibal’s body tensed, and he curled in on himself as though expecting a blow. But finally, his eyes opened, and he seemed to take in the room around him.

Will snuggled him and kissed his head. His chest ached with the need to comfort his friend. “It’s okay. You’re home. I’m here, you’re going to be all right.”

Hannibal nodded and sat up in the bed, slipping out of his arms. “I take it I was making some noise?”

Will nodded, looking up at him with concern. “You sounded scared.”

“My apologies.” He ruffled Will’s hair fondly and kissed his forehead, gently guiding him to lay back down. “Go back to sleep, my dear. Everything’s all right now.”

“I know.” Will sat up again, confused. “You were the one having a nightmare.”

Hannibal chuckled and tucked the blankets closer around him. “I’m going to read in my study for a little while. Go to sleep, I’ll be back before you wake.” He smiled at him, suddenly as calm and in control as ever.

Will lay down in the bed and let him go, but he didn’t sleep. Hannibal was extraordinarily good at concealing his emotions. Usually Will appreciated how subtle his feelings were. It gave him space to feel his own mind without being overwhelmed by someone else’s. But he’d seen what was happening to Hannibal just a minute ago. He’d been terrified. He’d cried out like a frightened child. That didn’t just go away after you woke up, Will knew that better than anyone.

So it hadn’t gone away. Hannibal had just chosen to ignore it.


	2. They Try

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will very gently coaxes Hannibal into letting him give him what he needs. It goes about as well as you'd expect.

Will took Hannibal in his arms and tucked his head to his shoulder. They were at Hannibal’s house. They’d settled into a rhythm of when they were where, barring cases or major disruptions. Hannibal was still in his suit, his hair still perfectly in place from the outside world. Will nuzzled him, taking in his scent. Hannibal sighed happily at the attention.

“I want to take care of you tonight,” Will said in a low voice.

“What did you have in mind?”

He kissed Hannibal’s temple and slipped his hand under his jacket. “Have you ever thought of being my little boy?”

Hannibal froze. Apparently whatever he’d been thinking of, that wasn’t it. “I can honestly say I have not.”

“No?” Will rubbed his back in slow circles. “It doesn’t have to be embarrassing. You’ve told me that enough times.”

“It isn’t for fear of embarrassment,” Hannibal said. “I fear I may not meet your expectations.”

“My expectations?”

He drew back from the embrace. “I was uncongenial as a child.”

Will smiled. “Believe me, you bring out a much sweeter version of my little self than my dad ever got.”

“It is a role I am unaccustomed to.” Hannibal’s expression was unreadable, but there was fear underneath it. And below the fear, a tiny spark of animating desire. “I may not prove able to perform it.”

“You don’t have to perform,” Will said. “I don’t. I’ll take care of you, and you can react however feels natural.” He cupped Hannibal’s face in his hand. “I want to see you.”

Hannibal gave him a small nod. “Very well.”

***

Hannibal looked grim, like he was steeling himself for something. Will tried to take him at his word, though. He’d been nervous his first time too. Actually, his first several times. But Hannibal had been gentle and firm and showed him there was nothing to worry about. He could do the same.

“Let’s get your jacket off, okay?” He smiled, reaching out slowly, giving Hannibal time to withdraw if he wanted to. Instead, Hannibal held very still and let him unbutton his jacket. He slid it off his shoulders and folded it over the arm of a chair. “Good.” He stroked Hannibal’s arms through his shirtsleeves and gently removed his vest, then his tie. He still looked very adult, even commanding, but at least he wasn’t an adult in a suit.

Will took him by the arm and guided him to the couch. “Here, why don’t you sit with me for a while?”

Hannibal followed him and sat where he was placed. Will put an arm around him and drew him down to rest his head against his shoulder. He could smell his hair gel. He rubbed his back and felt the tense, stony muscles through the cloth of his shirt.

“I won’t hurt you,” he murmured. He pressed a kiss to Hannibal’s head and was encouraged when he nuzzled at his shoulder. He nuzzled him back, enjoying his warm weight against his side. “It’s scary, huh?”

“Of course not.” Hannibal said. “I simply don’t have your facility for role play.”

That was a complete lie, and Will took it as a sign of Hannibal’s distress that it wasn’t a better one. Hannibal could be a siren out of a noir film in stockings and lingerie, a coldhearted sadist, a nurturing father, or a caring but implacable doctor at the drop of a hat. His facility for role play was frighteningly well-developed; he just didn’t have any facility for submission. Even the handful of times Will had tied him to the bed and striped his skin with welts, he’d taken it in like a patron at an art gallery. He’d relaxed and allowed Will to perform for him, appreciating his passion and technique, but he hadn’t given himself up to Will. Not the way he’d need to if he were going to take this role.

It was getting clearer that he couldn’t treat Hannibal the way Hannibal treated him. He leafed through his mind for other models of caregiving. Mr. Rogers on TV, explaining everything calmly, compassionate eyes never wavering. Well, that wasn’t getting him very far.

His own father, turning on cartoons and giving him chicken soup when he was sick. Talking over GI Joe with an entertaining but inappropriately frank discussion of the worst illnesses he’d ever seen, to put Will’s fever in perspective. He didn’t think Hannibal would like cartoons. And he’d been an ER surgeon, so he could probably top any of Will’s stories about sick people. 

Lucky the shepherd mix, shaking and whimpering in the vet’s office, quieting when she buried her head in his sweater. Hannibal was already held close to his sweater, but it didn’t seem to be soothing him. Ear rubs. No, humans didn’t like that. Peanut butter. Probably too déclassé. But maybe he could give him something else to put in his mouth.

He felt in his jeans pocket for the pacifier he’d gotten. It was adult-scale, white plastic and uncolored silicone, completely unremarkable. A therapeutic tool more than a prop. His own was baby blue, but he thought Hannibal would be more comfortable with something less overtly childish. “Here, sweetheart,” he said, putting it gently to Hannibal’s lips. “This’ll help you relax.”

Hannibal looked up at him for reassurance, and Will met his eyes, offering a steady, caring presence. Hannibal looked so young and vulnerable like this, it was hard to watch him rejecting the care he needed so much. “Shh,” he said, pressing the pacifier forward. “It’s all right. I’m here.”

Hannibal took it into his mouth, lips closing around the soft bulb. His eyes watered just slightly as he let Will cradle him. Will smiled adoringly and stroked his cheek.

Hannibal sat bolt upright and pulled away from Will’s arms, taking out the pacifier. There was a flash of something that looked like fear across his face, but it lasted less than a second before the mask was back in place, calm and stable and faintly amused.

“I’m afraid I can’t stay in character,” he said, straightening the books on an end table and buffing a smudge off the glass. “Perhaps another time, when I’m better prepared.”

Will stood and put a hand on his shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“Of course.” Hannibal kissed his forehead for asking. “Don’t worry. I enjoyed the experiment.”

Hannibal then led him into a round of distraction sex, with which he was at least as talented as with role play. When Will finally collapsed, fucked-out and exhausted, Hannibal wrapped around him protectively and watched over him until he fell asleep.


	3. They Try Some More, Kind Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal misunderstands Will, possibly deliberately.

Will stopped for a moment after coming in the door. Hannibal was in a thin, white tee shirt and – were those jeans? They clung to his body in a way his suits didn’t. He looked naked somehow. He looked young. Will stood in the doorway, watching his body move as he approached. Hannibal put his arms around Will’s shoulders and kissed his cheek.

“Hello.”

“Hi.” Will leaned up to press against Hannibal’s cheek. He touched him differently than usual. Normally, Hannibal enveloped him, or steadied him, or guided him by hand. Tonight, he was draped over Will’s shoulders, like a little bird resting for a moment, light and flighty, ready to spring.

Hannibal pressed closer to him, rocking their hips together and breathing softly. Will moaned. “Mm. What do I owe this to?” He took Hannibal’s hips in his hands and tucked his thumbs under the waistband of his jeans.

“I want to try something new,” Hannibal said, guiding Will’s hands higher, under his shirt, just barely hiking it up. His skin was velvety smooth, shaved clean.

Hannibal was good at creating impressions, and Will was good at picking them up. There was a cant to Hannibal’s hips when he walked, a slight tilt to his head. He was forward in his touches, clear that he wanted Will’s body and equally confident that Will wanted him. His jeans were tight around his ass. Every time he moved, Will wanted to bend him over and spank him or fuck him or both. He knew this was by design.

Club kid. Eurotrash. Little boi on an indefinite break from university backpacking around and taking new cock as easily as a new bed for the night. Lip gloss and glo-stiks. Soap and clean, healthy sweat. There would’ve been house music playing if they didn’t both hate it enough to ruin the mood.

“All right.” Will nodded, accepting Hannibal’s game. “Let me get you a drink.”

He went to the kitchen and mixed a glass of vodka and juice. He didn’t know what slutty undergrads drank in Hannibal’s world, but in his the syrupy taste of vodka and sugar always reminded him of making out with someone fresh and young, someone who’d just learned to fuck and wanted to practice on as many willing partners as came through the door.

He took a sip, catching a slight smile as he looked Hannibal in the face, then put the glass to Hannibal’s lips and fed him a much bigger drink of the stuff, watching him part his mouth and swallow, taking it obediently from Will’s hand. His cock stirred in his pants.

Hannibal kissed him, draping his arms over his shoulders again and lapping at his lips. His mouth tasted like cranberries when Will spread his lips and pushed his tongue through to explore him. He moaned softly when Will put the cup down and grabbed a handful of his ass, pulling him close to grind against him with ungentle hands.

Hannibal’s mouth wandered to his neck, lapping gently like a kitty-cat, opening Will’s guard underneath him and making him pant at the shocks of pleasure down his spine. He fisted his hands loosely in the flannel of Will’s shirt, descending to the floor in a slow, fluid motion. He took another draw from the cup of cran-vodka and licked his lips, face to face with the fastener of Will’s jeans. He pressed in, nuzzling Will’s cock and breathing in, scenting him shamelessly.

Will looked down at his face, eyes closed and blissful, mouth slightly open. He could have been a picture of sex.

“Aren’t I a little old for you?” Will asked, letting his hand tangle in Hannibal’s hair, mussing it into blond spikes.

Hannibal gave him a small smile, glad his gambit had been understood. “Maybe I like older men,” he said, licking over Will’s denim-clad cock.

“Daddy issues?”

That earned him a faint laugh, a soft sound at the back of Hannibal’s throat. “Maybe they just know how to fuck,” he said, and leaned forward to take down Will’s fly with his teeth.

Will sighed as he leaned back against the counter and let Hannibal work him out of his boxers and lick him like a candy. He could feel the long, slow strokes of Hannibal’s tongue and the press of his lips as he sucked, light and gentle, just enough to make Will feel like a coiling spring, just enough to make him shake. He could also feel Hannibal’s satisfaction – having him open like this, held in place for him to lick and taste, the odd combination of oral need and delight in power that he’d never felt from anyone else.

“Do you know how to suck, boy? Or just how to tease?” He felt a pleased growl from Hannibal as he pressed forward, taking his cock in deep. He looked down, and Hannibal was absolutely concentrated on him, holding his hips and taking him into his throat, swallowing around him. Will made a high, needy noise as Hannibal started to move, sliding over him like silk. He felt the pressure under his skin, and the tension grew with every pass of those sweet lips over his cock.

“You’re good with your mouth,” he murmured, and Hannibal thanked him by teasing the underside of his cock with his tongue, making him moan. He felt like he was being eaten by a tiger. He rocked his hips, helpless against the beast. All he could do was grip the counter and take it as Hannibal brought him over the edge, snapping the spring and dispersing the energy, making him feel it in his teeth.

He panted, eyes closed. Hannibal licked and kissed him tenderly before tucking him back in his shorts and rising to his feet again.

Will drew him in and kissed him, tasting himself on his lips. Hannibal was so hot against him, so lithe and warm he felt dizzy. He pulled back to look at his flushed, satisfied face.

“So what brought this on?” he asked.

“You expressed an interest in exploring my younger side,” Hannibal said. “Since our last endeavor was disappointing, I wished to try again with more time to prepare.”

“Oh. Oh!” It took a moment for Will to make the connection between this and his brief attempt at playing Daddy a few days earlier.

“Did you find it unsatisfying?”

Will hugged him. “I’m not going to complain about you pinning me to counters and giving me predatory blowjobs. I know that’s an important part of our relationship.”

Hannibal inclined his head in acknowledgement.

“But I wanted to take care of you.”

Hannibal nuzzled his cheek. “I assure you, I am very content.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” Will said, licking him playfully. “I mean – here.” He put a hand on the back of Hannibal’s head and guided him down to his shoulder. He started to rock from side to side, pressing close and wrapping around him protectively. “I mean like this.”

“Will, if this is from a desire for reciprocity – ”

“It’s not.”

Hannibal fell quiet. “Why, then?” he asked.

“I like this side of you,” Will said. “I want to see it. Care for it.” He kissed Hannibal’s hair.

“You want me unmasked,” he said.

“Do you need masks with me?”

“You wish to strip me of my defenses and see the raw flesh. To touch it.”

Will thought on this for a moment. “Yes.”

Hannibal nodded. “That... will take a great deal more preparation.”


	4. Swiggity-swan, maybe he can?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Hannibal have a breakthrough!

They were in Will’s house this time, taking Hannibal out of his usual milieu. A different space, and with it a chance to be a different person. Hannibal had asked to take a shower first. A fresh start, maybe. A moment to get into character.

The water stopped running, and Hannibal came out of the bathroom. He wore a gray sweater with the collar of a tee shirt visible at the neck. He fingered the hem of his sleeves. “I’ve taken an anxiolytic,” he said. “It should take effect within another twenty minutes.”

“Okay.” Will stepped across the living room floor to see him more closely. He reached up to stroke his cheek, and Hannibal turned away, not avoiding his hand, but afraid to look while he touched him. “Do you think it will help?”

“I believe it should, yes.”

Will put his arms around him and rocked slowly from side to side. After a little coaxing, Hannibal moved with him. He thought for a moment, feeling out his next move. Hannibal had shown he was uncomfortable taking the role of a child, but he wanted it enough that he kept trying.

_I crave control. I want Will on his knees, overwhelmed. I want him to collapse into my arms. I’m his rock, his anchor. I’m strong enough to let him be weak for a moment, to make him give in. The power to harm is intoxicating. Equally strong is the power to protect._

“You’re afraid,” he said out loud.

“What do you intend to do?”

Will shrugged. “I want to hold you. Talk.”

“I have indulged you in more threatening games,” Hannibal said.

“No.” Will tilted his head, contemplating the man in front of him. He was still looking away, still holding onto his sweater cuffs as though to a lifeline. “There’s power in this. A primal energy. Otherwise you wouldn’t keep trying.”

He led him to the couch and held his head. The skin of his cheek was so smooth, so soft. He smelled different without hair gel or cologne. Just the subtle scent of his own body.

_I’m glass, smooth and cool. No cracks to hook a claw into, nothing as soft as flesh. I kill with impunity. I charm without effort._

_I have made myself inhuman to survive._

“This is scary for you, isn’t it?” Will asked.

Hannibal was able to nod.

“Last time you were little, someone hurt you, huh?”

He felt Hannibal tense in his arms. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that a profiler could guess such a thing, but Hannibal had always wanted to be unreadable. The part of him that built his walls was at least as strong as the part that wanted Will to climb them.

Will pulled back to look him in the face. “Well, you know what?” Hannibal looked uncertain. “I’m ten times scarier than whoever hurt you.”

Hannibal actually blinked in surprise, the most open expression he’d worn so far.

“They had to pick on a little boy. I kill grown men.” Will touched his face fondly. “I killed the man who hurt Abigail, and I killed the man who hurt Buster. And if anyone ever tries to hurt you, I’ll kill them too. And I’ll probably like it.” His voice was tender and fatherly. “You’ve seen me, Hannibal. You know what I am.”

Tears gathered in Hannibal’s eyes, and Will drew him close again, taking the weight of his body against his chest and rocking with him. “You’re safe with me, Hannibal,” he murmured.

There was a choked, quiet sob, the first he’d heard from Hannibal in all the time he’d known him. He pulled him into his lap, pressing them together, giving him as much contact as he could.

“And... what if they don’t come for me?” His voice was so small it made Will’s heart clench. “What if someone comes for you?”

“Oh, baby,” Will said as the pieces fell into place. “Is that what you were worried about?”

 _I am beaten bloody by loss, torn where the connections have been severed. I am starved for contact. The hunger is a pain I feel everywhere. But I need to know. I need to know that Will is_ safe _, that he won’t be taken from me. I can’t sustain another loss like this._

_I’m compelled, as though picking at a wound. Asking the question again and again until I get the answer I knew was true all along._

“That’s why you kept sending me against killers, huh?” he asked. “You had to test me, to know for sure that I wouldn’t die and leave you.”

Hannibal gave a soft, pained cry.

“That’s why you always had to stay in control. You’re afraid someone’ll take me away if you don’t protect me.”

He buried his face in Will’s shirt.

“It’s okay, baby. It’s all right, baby boy.” Hannibal’s tears were hot against his chest. The powerful body felt so small and fragile, curled around him like it was, trembling. He pulled a blanket from the arm of the couch and tucked it around him, giving his little boy cover and security, keeping in the warmth of their bodies to soothe him.

“Let me be the grownup here,” Will said. He nuzzled Hannibal’s head as warmth bloomed in his chest. He was just a little stray pup that needed to be held. “Trust me to protect us both. You know I can do that, don’t you?”

Hannibal looked up at him with wide, hungry eyes. Will kissed his forehead.

“Think about the person who hurt you,” he said. “Are they scarier than I am?”

Hannibal shook his head with a trembling, hopeful smile on his lips. Will smiled back.

“No. I’m the most dangerous monster in the room, and I love you very, very much.”

Hannibal started to weep again. He wiped his eyes, trying to stay the display of feeling.

Will thought he’d contained his feelings long enough. He was too little for that kind of self control. “You can cry, sweetheart. It’s all right.”

The tears came faster at the gentle words. Will held him tightly, tight enough that Hannibal could let go, and he’d still be right there in Will’s arms, secure. He was sobbing openly now, his control shattered. Will’s eyes stung too as he felt the waves of fear and loneliness, the pain Hannibal hadn’t let himself feel before.

“It’s been hard being all alone, huh, baby?” He kissed his head, rocking him in his arms like a young child. As different as this was from the Hannibal he knew, it felt natural, as if something he’d sensed in the depths had risen to the surface to be seen. He embraced it, holding it close to his heart. “You don’t have to be alone anymore. Daddy’s here.”

Hannibal cried until the strength left his body, until he was too drained to do anything but lay in Daddy’s arms and let him pet and cuddle him.

“Sweet boy,” Will said. “You just needed to know you were safe.” He nuzzled Hannibal’s nose. “Stay here, buddy. I’ll go to the kitchen to get some milk.” He stood and wrapped the blanket more securely around Hannibal, almost swaddling him. Hannibal watched him as he went to the kitchen, afraid to let him out of sight.

Will took a sippy cup from the cabinet. It was blue, with a soft spout, and was clumsily hidden behind a coffee mug from when Alana dropped by and he’d had to clean the kitchen fast. He warmed milk in a pan, adding just a little honey. He stirred it until it was slightly frothy and poured it into the cup, screwing the lid into place. When he went back into the living room, Hannibal was huddled up on the couch with Winston curled next to him, being fluffy in support.

Will ruffled Winston’s head and slid in next to Hannibal. “Thanks for keeping the kid company.”

Winston remained a potato.

He took Hannibal’s hand in his and closed it around the cup. “Drink. You’ll feel better.”

Hannibal suckled, leaning against his new protector for comfort. Will felt him relax into his arms, and he stroked him gently to encourage him. Hannibal’s hair was soft under his lips, and with his eyes closed, he looked more peaceful than Will had ever seen him.

When Hannibal finished, Will refilled the sippy cup with fresh, warm milk and led him to the bed. Very gently, he stripped off Hannibal’s jeans and sweater, leaving him in his little shorts and tee. He stroked his cheek with the back of his hand, smiling at the cute picture he made.

He loved the weight of him against his chest, the soft motion as he suckled. This was what he wanted. To see the little, fragile side of Hannibal, to see where he was hurt and comfort him. To take in the little orphan boy and nurture him as his own.

“Sweet baby. You’re such a good boy, Hanni.” He pulled down the covers and guided Hannibal to lay down, his head resting on Will’s chest, just over his heart. He held the cup for him now, tilting it to let him drink. This felt _right_.

Hannibal cuddled closer and made a sleepy cooing sound. Will’s heart melted all over again, and he tucked the fuzzy blanket around him extra snugly to make a safe little cocoon.

“You’ve had a hard day, sweetheart,” he said. “I think you need a nap.”

Hannibal clung to him with a sound of distress. “You won’t leave?”

“No.” He kissed him. “No, of course I won’t leave, honey. I’m going to stay right here and protect you.”

He slipped the empty cup from Hannibal’s lips and replaced it with the pacifier he’d had in his pocket. He hadn’t anticipated that they’d get as far as using it, but he was glad he had it now.

“I love you, Hannibal,” he said. He laid back in the nest he’d made for them and watched his baby drift off to sleep.


End file.
